Earlier this month, a new website titled Beyond Compromise was launched amidst much fanfare in the Palestinian blogosphere. With Palestinian writers and contributors from within Palestine and the diaspora, the website is designed to be a platform for critical thinking about issues close to heart- politics or otherwise. The Palestine Monitor talked to the editor in chief Adam Akkad about BC’s vision, goal, and the message that they want to send out to their Palestinian counterparts and the rest of the world.
Palestine Monitor: What does Beyond Compromise mean?
Adam Akkad: In the typical discourse of the peace process, Palestinians are put in a position where they need to 'compromise.’ These compromises largely revolve around the indigenous rights of Palestinians i.e. the right to return, equality and justice. We chose this title to announce that no one is in a position to compromise on the rights of Palestinians and that our rights must be respected. Palestinian rights are non-negotiable and we are here to take them off the negotiating table.
PM: Who are the masterminds behind the website, and how did the idea come about?
AA: The name and idea of the website belong to me. It was developed by many Palestinian activists and bloggers including Yasir Tineh, Nour Salman, Maath Musleh, Nadine Liddawi and Nader Elkhuzundar.
All of the founders of BC are involved in blogging on our own and felt we could have more of an impact if we joined forces. Moreover, we believed that by creating one big blog, we could provide a platform for all Palestinians to express their views and start a meaningful discussion.
PM: Without Twitter specifically, would this initiative been feasible?
AA: Twitter played a huge part. I have only met one of the other founders in person, and the rest I’ve met though Twitter. Also, we all have large followings on Twitter which really helped promote the blog and develop interest and excitement.
PM: Who is the target audience for this website?
AA: Our main goal is to start a discussion amongst Palestinian, particularly the youth who have been for too long disconnected and neglected from the cause. We want to bring Palestine’s youth back into the discussion and let them know that their future lies in their hands.
PM: Will the content on the website be mostly in English?
AA: Right now, most of the content is indeed in English. However, we have received interest from Palestinians from all over the world looking to contribute articles in Arabic and Spanish. BC accepts contributions in all languages. The blog currently operates in English and Arabic.
PM: Is the contribution limited to Palestinians?
AA: Our goal is to bolster the voice of Palestinians in deciding their future. Right now, the blog is limited to Palestinians. In our future vision of BC, we’d like to incorporate all struggles for justice and human rights not just in the Arab world, but all over the world. The point is to have the the oppressed speak for themselves and to let the world know what they want and not prevent any entity from dictating anything to them.
PM: In the About Us section, you mention your belief that “…the road to a free and liberated Palestine travels though the Palestinian people and no one else.” What are your thoughts on Israeli activists who believe in the “joint struggle” and whose numbers often outnumber that of Palestinians at Palestinian protests? Could their participation be seen as counterproductive?
AA: We at BC believe that solidarity is important, but the cause has to be led by Palestinians. This again goes to the essence of the blog- a platform for Palestinians to think critically about every aspect of our struggle and to promote a genuine discussion on how to move forward. We welcome support wherever it may come from, but that support must respect the desires and aspirations of the Palestinian people in order to be considered genuine.
In regards to Israeli solidarity activists and their notion of 'joint struggle’- we don’t accept that. We respect Israeli solidarity activists for speaking the truth and for the risks they take, but at the end of the day they come from a position of privilege and to insinuate that they face the same oppression as Palestinians is insulting to our cause and suffering. Again, we welcome all forms of solidarity but it must remain just that- solidarity.
PM: What is this website’s primary focus about? Thoughts, news, activism, analysis, culture?
AA: BC is looking for quality analysis pieces on Palestine. The primary focus is to shake off this aura of apathy in the Palestinian community and to get them thinking about the cause and to start asking meaningful questions. We look for strong, thought provoking articles that assist in developing a fruitful discussion in our community. In the near future we will be opening an Arts & Culture page to showcase all types of art, poems and other contributions by Palestinian artists.
PM: Was this idea modeled after 972mag.com or any other website in mind?
AA: No. We did not want BC to become another news site. We have many top quality new blogs like Mondoweiss and Electronic Intifada. We want BC to be a place where we take a look at the news and try to consider what it means exactly, how it affects us as Palestinians and what it means for our cause. From there we can look at ways of properly responding to, say, compromising actions taken by collaborationist leadership or ways to effectively promote and support the resistance like the mass hunger strikes in Israeli prisons.
PM: Does the website strive toward a certain goal, and if so what is it?
AA: The goal of the site is to first remind Palestinians that our future is in our hands. We can choose to be well adjusted to injustice or we can demand and fight for our rights. We hope to accomplish this by taking a really critical approach collectively as Palestinian youth. Our goal is that this will create a stronger sense of agency and unity amongst Palestinians that will in turn lead to more effective action towards attaining our rights. The peace process has succeeded in dividing the Palestinians people and creating the illusion that we can only hope for whatever crumbs fall off the oppressor’s plate. We at BC are here to say that the Palestinian people are one people and we share the same future. We can either fall prey to the tactics of the oppressor or we can join together and compel the oppressor to respect our rights. We at BC choose the latter.
PM: How sustainable will this website be? In another five years, where will Beyond Compromise be?
AA: BC views itself as a community blog. As long as there is a Palestinians with something to say, we will provide them with the means to have their voice be heard. In other words, we aren’t going anywhere.
Visit beyondcompromise.com here to read their articles